The Ground
by ohnomyshoee
Summary: (Sequel to The Box) Dakota is back and has noticed a change in Alexandria. Will she be able to keep her humanity after what has happened to her? Can she finally learn how to trust others? Will she make it in this world?
1. Chapter 1

**I'm super excited that Dakota is back! I hope you enjoy and leave reviews so I know what I can improve on!**

I wake up and the sun is seeping through my window. That's odd. Usually I wake up in the middle of the night or early in the morning because of nightmares but this wasn't the case. Maybe I should be shot more often.

I'm alone in the room but a plate of canned peaches sits on the bed side table. I pull down my shirt low enough to see the bullet hole. I whence just looking at it. I look away and eat the peaches.

I've been in this room for a long time, I've been in Alexandria for a long time but I struggle to call it home. It's too good to be true. I was still unsafe no matter what. The walls just distracted the idea of getting hurt. We are never safe.

Glenn walks into the room looking anxious. He puts his hand through his hair and looks around. He looks like he is looking for something.

"Hi Glenn," I say quietly.

He turns around, "Hi Dakota."

"I feel better, can I get up?" I bite my lip hoping for a good answer.

"I can't, you can't not yet. You're still recovering," he sounds worried. He looks for awhile longer until he sighs in relief picking up a pocket watch from the ground. He holds it in his hands and studies it.

"I can't stay here, I'm okay," I beg.

"What if you decide to go out side the walls again," he raises his voice, "you can't get hurt anymore."

"It's not your fault that I got hurt," I say. He doesn't look at me, "I need to get my strength back, please!"

Maggie walks into the room. I've talked to her a little since I've been stuck in here.

"It's about time she gets up hun," she says to Glenn.

He rushes past her out of the room.

"What happened that night?" I ask.

"Alexandria isn't the same, it changed," she looks around nervously.

"Who died?" I frown. I could tell something wasn't right.

"Pete, and Deanna's husband."

I long pause separates us.

"Can I leave?" I ask, "I can't stay here forever."

She takes a minute before answering. "Alright, be careful," she warns.

She helps me get up. It takes me awhile to stand but I finally do. My legs feel like jello but after awhile I feel sturdy again. I get on my clothes and leave the room I've been trap in.

Fresh air, finally.

As I slowly walk around, people turn their heads to look at me. I wave at Carol who is talking to Daryl. She gives a harsh glare back. I see Rick, he has healing cuts all over his face. He walks around with a gun clearly poking out of his belt. Alexandria prohibited guns, he was going to get caught and get us in trouble.

"Rick," I wave him over. He runs up to me.

"What's wrong?" He asks, "Is your shoulder okay?"

"It's fine, you have a gun and everyone can see it. I don't want to get in trouble with Deanna."

He stops to laugh, "The rules aren't the same anymore." He acts as if I was suppose to know that.

"I'm sorry, I was in that room for awhile and," I began but he stops me.

"Don't be sorry," he says. He hands me a small revolver. I hesitate to take it. He looks at me then says, "Everyone is armed for now on okay?"

"Okay," I questioned if this is good or bad.

"If you need help with it, some people are teaching a target practice. You can go if you want..."

"I know how to use a gun," I stop him.

"Well, alright."

He walks away, tucking his shirt in a little tighter so the gun he has is even more exposed.

I feel the gun in my hands for awhile. I touch the cool metal. It's kinda heavy, it's fully loaded I guess. I turn on the safety just in case. I haven't held a gun since the gas station. I feel a little rage build up inside me thinking about how those people just took it away from me. I stop and notice I was clenching my fists and digging my nails into my palm. I'm disgusted at Rick. These people aren't just going to adjust so easily to this world. I'm worry about them, they aren't used to this.

I walk around for a long time, looking at the once peaceful place, it is changed. I look at the faces that were once full of so much hope, but are now broken. I start to get anxious. I need to take a break. I know I shouldn't go outside the walls, I'm still hurt and Glenn would never forgive me if I left again but I need fresh air. I need peace.

I fast walk to the front where the gate is to see if anyone is guarding the fence, Sasha is there of course. I decide to go through the back. I began to climb the tall fence but I'm stopped by the pain in my shoulder about five feet into climbing. I fall and lay on the ground clutching my sleeve.

"What are you doing?" A voice comes from above me.

I look into the eyes of Enid. The other kids came to visit me when I was in bed but she never did. I'm guessing she doesn't like me or my group.

"None of your business," I bark back, I get up off the ground. I try to hide the pain from my face.

"There is an easier place to climb you know," she laughs.

"How would you know?" I question her, I read her face to spot a lie but she is honest with me.

"I leave everyday. Sometimes I need my space."

"Well, me too," I mumble.

"You could ask Sasha, she probably wouldn't mind. She let me out before."

"Sasha doesn't like me," I pause, "It's a long story."

"You probably shouldn't leave anyways," she smirks, "You have been shot."

"Who hasn't been shot nowadays? It's no big deal I'm fine." It isn't really uncommon anymore to get shot now that I think about it.

A frown appears across her face, "Fine then I won't help you."

Oh boy. She's smart, I can tell.

"Okay, then help me," I sigh, regretting my words.

She takes me to a place in the fence where there is grooves that make it easier to climb. I thank her silently and Enid runs off.

Over the fence it's quiet for awhile. I began my hike through the woods remembering small land marks so I can find my way back. I decided to take a break on a tree stump. I can't work myself to hard. I sit back and relax for awhile. For a second it is too quiet, then a piercing scream rings through my ears. It's a long ways away. I get up not realizing it and start sprinting towards the scream.


	2. Chapter 2

I look around frantically in the woods. My heart thumps and I feel like its going to explode from my chest. The scream keeps echoing and getting louder but I can't find the source. The scream gets so loud. I can feel it almost right next to me. The scream feels like it right up against my ear. I pull my gun, nothing is there. The screams start coming from all directions. I drop my gun and plug my ears. The screams don't soften but they feel closer. I fall on my knees to the ground. I began to yell, hoping my voice will drowned out the noise. It's then I realize the voices are in my head. I close my eyes hoping for it to stop then open them up again. I feel a soft mattress below me and warm sheets. I quickly rise up from the bed. I had to make sure it was real. I quickly got up and into the bathroom.

I look at myself in the mirror. I'm drenched in salty sweat with nags under my blue eyes. It's the middle of the night, but that doesn't stop me from taking a cool shower.

The cold water awakens my skin. I touch my hands to my face. I feel like I needed to make sure I was here. I lean up against the shower wall. How did I get here? How did this happen? Why? The thought rush through my brain.

I turn off the water and cover myself with a towel. I run back to my room and changed into clothes. I look over to my bedside table. A gun laid on the table abandon. I picked it up. It was the same one Rick gave me earlier. I put it down and rush my hand through my hair. I threw my hand down when it felt a tender bump. What happened to me?

A gentle knock tapped on my door. It opened and Maggie stood there with a frown on her face.

"Hey," she walks in.

"Hi," I say quietly.

"Feelin better?" Her face looked a bit worried.

"Yeah, what happenend?" I touch my head again. I whinced when I touched it.

"Enid found you passed out by a curve You must have tripped over it. Maybe you weren't ready..."

"I was, I just tripped." I bit my lip. I must have fell off the fence again and got knocked out. Enid must have covered for me.

"Alright, maybe you should only be out for awhile then comeback in to rest."

I nod her off and she leaves.

Later in the day I walk down the road. I can only be out for 15 minutes then take a 30 minute break, Maggie's rules. I kick a rock around. Someone punches me in the arm.

"Hey," I clinch my fist to fight back but it's just Enid. Carl stood next to her looking inpatient.

"That's for being stupid and making me lie for you," she says.

"Thanks," I say rubbing my arm.

"Come on," Carl says tapping his foot. I'm not sure if he quite forgave me forr leaving yet.

"Wait for one second," she rolls her eyes at him then back to me. "Wanna hang with us for awhile?"

"I would but Maggie is only letting me out for 15 minutes."

"Oh," she says a little surprised. "That sucks."

"Yeah," I sigh out.

"See you later then," she waves to me. Carl doesn't even glance back. I thought he forgot about this.

I head back to the house and sit on the couch for awhile. Maggie isn't home, but the neighbors are watching me to make sure I take my breaks. With not much to do, I fumble around a bookshelf to see if there is anything I would want to read. I wasn't much of a reader. I couldn't stay focused long enough to finish a book. I look through drawers in all the room, looking for something to do. I open up a small drawer in the room I was staying in and found a small moleskin journal. I flip through the full pages.

A girl named Amanda once wrote in this diary. I skip to the last three entries. My hand shake as I read the pages.

_Dear diary,_

_The school here sucks. All the kids are stuck up snobs. I have no friends and I have no idea what we are even talking about in math. Ever since we moved, mom and dad has changed and they aren't fun no more. I want to go back to my old school. I can't keep on adjusting. This sucks._

I stop reading and laugh to myself. This is what teenagers had to worry about, not dead men walking around. I continued reading.

_I don't think I'll ever like it here._

_Until next time,_

_Amanda_

I flipped the page.

_Dear diary,_

_Some rumors are going around school about a virus_. _All the kids joke about it like it's nothing_. _They say people are eating each other. I hope those brats are lying._ _I still don't fully believe. A lot of kids weren't here today or got pulled out of class. I'm scared._

I skim through the entry until it ends.

_Mom is calling me. Gotta go._

_Amanda_

I slowly turn the next page.

_Dear diary,_

_The virus is real. I haven't seen the infected in person but they're out there. Dad is taking us to a camp. He won't let me bring you. I want to document what happens but he says it's a waste. Apparently we don't need it. I can't sneek you in._

_This will be my last entry._

_Good bye normal life,_

_Amanda_

The last one got me. I threw the diary across the room and went back outside. I hope Amanda made it but the chances of that are so slim. I never kept a diary before. It seemed like a waste of time, but thinking about it now. If I were to have wrote one, it would be some of the last records of me if I were to die. Amanda was right for doing it. If I could tell her today, I would. Too bad things don't work out.


	3. Chapter 3

**I know I've been MIA for a long time but I been afraid to write because I don't wanna mess up the story for season 6. I'm going to try (key word try) to write a lot leading up to the premire. I do have a life though so that's kinda hard. Sorry this isn't my best. I really do cars about this it's just been hard to create something that wouldn't screw it up for season 6. This isn't Dakota btw. Its her aunt (remeber her). I hope you like.**

"Jane!" Dr. Martin calls me over the screaming of the crowd. Cries and the moan of walkers fill my ears.

"Brian!" I yell back to one of the doctor, before a hand grabs my shoulder and I turn over to find a biter has caught hold of me. It's jaws snap at me and I hold its head back. I stab its head with my knife and grab its shoulder. I hold it in front of my as a shield against the rest of his friends. There is no time to find Brian.

I clear a path through the crowd knock the biters out of my way and then to the opening in the wall. I feel the bones starting to collapse on the biter I hold in front of me. Its arms fall off as his body slams on to me pouring the rest of him on me. I fall down onto the concrete. I'm drench in the scent of the dead. I move on to running past everyone. Some are getting eaten alive and some are already dead. Most of the biters are busy. I run out of Crawford. The sanctuary, full of the perfect survival group.

It started when someone died. Only one. Somehow an entire wall was blown up and the ones that weren't killed by the explosion were eaten alive. Perfect survivors. My mind wanders to my niece. I left my poor Dakota, the girl that I had taken care of since her parents left, the girl I got 2 jobs for, the girl I left for dead to join this place that didn't even make it a full year. The dead always win.

I run past the biters. They don't see me. They smell the rot and go past me. I run into a parking garage. I find a car there. It's part of a crash. It has a dent in the side. Its one of the only cars left there. It's worth a try. The key lays on the seat. lucky for me.

I try the car and it stalls. I try again turning the key hard and it works. Back the car out of the wreck. The tank is only a quarter tank full. I get out of the car and check the trunk. Gold mine. The trunk had a red container of gas and a stash of water. I wasn't lucky enough to find food. I went back up front and drove the car far away.

I left Savannah before thinking about what just happened. My friends, my home was gone. I stop the car on the side of the road. There I sat and cried. This world takes so much from people. Brian, the man who saved my life from the flu, who helped me through this is gone. I didn't even think to try to save him. I'm so stupid. I leave everyone don't I? I should of stayed and died like Brian, and 's no way they survived.

I sat there for a long time until it was dark. I was to lost in my thoughts when I heard a knock on the window followed by growls. A biter was clawing the passenger seat window. I rolled downed the passenger seat window and stabed it eye. I pushed it away from the car. I sat up and began to drive away.

I drove for hours. My eyelids felt heavy. I had no idea where to go, no direction at all. I was driving on a bridge underneath was a body of water. It was a lake I believe. I began not to pay attention. All a sudden in the view of the headlights was a biter. I swerved the wheel and broke through the bridge barrier. My car balanced half way on and half way off the bridge.

Biters surround the back of my car. They began to push the car forward. I would die here. My car tipped forward and my options ran low. I couldn't get out and if I did there is to many to take by myself. I knew what I had to do. I rolled the down and the car tipped into the lake.

**So that's what should I do with Jane? Should her and Dakota meet again or what? I may just kill her who knows but yeah. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Jane**

A quite splash follows as the car hits the lake. Water rushes through the windows pouring on to my lap causing pain in my abdomen. The car is fully under and I take a last breath. I swim out my open window barely squeezing through. I swim up towards air. I gasp as I surface. Many splashes follow. Biters are falling from the bridge following me. A foul smell and a dark color fills the water. It's almost pitch black out side and I can barley see. Finally I find a shore.

I sit down and reach for my knife. Gone. I look sadly at the dirt. I would never make it anywhere without a weapon or a car in the pitch dark.

I wait for morning I pick through the grass with a stick. I feel something hard in the grass. I investigate it. It's a handleless blade. I carefully pick it up not to cut myself. I find a thick stick and break it. I make grooves in the bark secure the knife it there. I tie it to be safe with my shoe lace. It's not much but it's better than nothing. I begin to walk into the trees hoping to find a path.

Atlanta would be my first place to go but seeing what happened to Savannah, large cities are a no. But what are Washington? They have to have they're stuff together, they have military and protection right? I guess I'll just go wherever the road takes me.

**Dakota present time**

Routines are boring. Day after day, the same thing. I need something new, I need to go outside the walls. I'm sick of it here.

Early in the morning, I grab my knife. I french braid my hair, a great walker proof hair style. I look in the mirror. I almost shock myself. My eyes don't look as tired as they used too. My skinny arms have more meat on them and my hair is longer and messier than I thought. A lot can change when you get more sleep. I never stopped having nightmares but I can sleep now with a chance I won't.

Alexandria is changing. Rick is scaring everyone into keeping guns and weapons with them. Dianna just tries to keep order. Good luck to her. I haven't seen Ron Sam or Mikey since Rick and Pete's fight besides school. I missed a lot when I got shot. Maybe it's better without the drama. I give Nicolas, the man who shot me, dirty looks when he passes by. But other than that I try to be nice to everyone.

Not many people are up this early. I walk into the storage room. I take a gun and a silencer with me. I hide it in my pants and pull my shirt over it. I walk to the back of Alexandria away from the guard tower. I climb over the fence. I drop down sending pain in my shoulder. I walk into the woods.

I have a peaceful walk for awhile. It's great to break routines. I keep walking till a tree branch breaks. I wait for a growl from a walker but none follows. I pull out my gun

"Come out now," I say.

Nothing.

"I'm warning you I will attract every walker for miles away if you don't come out."

Nothing for awhile then a force pushes me to the ground. My gun falls out of my hand. A man wrestles on top of me. He gets up in my face.

"You're one of them!" He screams at me.

I struggle instead of answering. The collar of my shirt is low enough to see my bullet hole. The man looks at it and then digs his thumb into it.

I scream in pain, I cry.

"You're a wolf!" He yells at me.

I start shaking my head no. I hear a growl coming from behind the man but the man doesn't notice. I feel around for my gun as he continues to scream, "You killed them! You killed my family!"

I try to argue but I only can get out squeals of pain. I finally found my gun. A walker is right behind the man. I shot it then shoot the man. He falls limp on top of me. I crawl out from under and start shaking while looking at what I had done. I sit down near the man and cry. I've never killed someone before.

I hear more growls in the distance. I run back to camp. My shoulder is bleeding badly. I try to climb the fence but I fall and get no where. I run up front to see if anyone's in the guard tower. I knock on the gate and Enid opens it. I look at her than run into camp to Carol's house.


End file.
